Plate-lifter.



No. 853,529. PATENTED MAYM} 1907.

E. P. WBLGIL PLATE LIFTER. APPLIOATIYON FILED NOV. 20, 1906.

l I L /5 In 1- 7 A; Q 6 2 J 4 a /7 i a 1 l6 IIEF- E a J I l5- s A? 0 9 43 L m I I v 'IIYI'IH $2 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE.

PLATE-LIFTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1907,

Application filed November 20,1906. Serial No- 344,290.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND F. WELOH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Termo Station, in the county of Lassen and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PlateLifters, of which the following is a specification, refer ence being hadtherein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for lifting and handlingpie plates, dishes, pans and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, which maybe used upon pans and the like of various sizes and which is easy tomanipulate so that pans and dishes may be quickly lifted into and out ofa hot oven.

Further objects and advantages of the invention as well as thestructural features by means of which these objects are attained,

will be made clear by an examination of the following specificationtaken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lifting device; Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the same showing its jaws engaged with a pie plateor pan and its handle in section; and Fig. 3 is a view on an enlargedscale, showing the manner in which the jaws of the lifter engage a plateor pan comparatively small in diameter.

My improved lifting device comprises a handle 1 preferably of wood andtwo resilient jaw members 2, 8, formed of steel wire or the like ofsuitable size. These jaw members are similar in construction and havetheir inner ends securely fixed in the handle 1 from which they project,as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each of these jaw members comprises alongitudinally curved or arc-shaped rim engaging jaw 4, a twistedportion 5, an open portion 6 and a twisted portion 7, the latter beingat the inner end of the jaw member and being suitably secured in thehandle 1. Each of the members 2, 3 is preferably formed from a piece ofwire doubled upon itself to form the outer or free end of one of thejaws 4 and then suitably bent and twisted to form said portions .4, 5, 6and 7 of the member; and if desired both of the members 2, 3 may beformed from a single piece of wire which is doubled upon itself at itscenter, as shown at 8 in Fig. 2, and each branch or end of it is thenbent to form the said members. The twisting of the two strands of wirecomprising each of the members at the points 5 and 6, serves to greatlystrengthen the same; and leaving the portion 6 of said strands untwistedor in spaced parallel relation renders the members sufficientlyresilient to permit them to be sprung together to engage a comparativelysmall plate or pan. Each of the jaws proper 4 has its strands orportions 9, 10 spaced apart sufficiently to receive the rim R of a pieplate or pan P between them, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and itwill be observed that the strands or portions 1.0 of these jaws lie in ahorizontal plane beneath that of the strands or portions 9 and furtherthat they lie within the portions 9 so that they engage the bottom ofthe rim R and. the outer side of the pan body, while the portions 9engage the top of said rim. This construction of the j aws' permits themto securely grasp the pan or plate P without regard to the size of thelatter. The outer end 11 of one of the jaws 4 is made larger than thecorresponding end 12 of the other jaw so that said end 12 may passwithin the end 11, as shown in Fig. 8, and thus enable the jaws to morereadily grasp pans of comparatively small diameter.

Projecting upwardly and at right-angles from the end portions 5 of thejaw members are handles 13 preferably constructed of pieces of wiredoubled upon themselves, as shown at 14, and twisted together as at 15,the twisted ends being interwoven in the twisted portions 5 in anysuitable manner. The upper'ends 14 of the handles are curved outwardlyso that when the two handles 13 are rasped in one hand to draw the jaws4 toget er the curved ends 14 engage the top of the hand.

In order to limit the opening of the jaws I provide a wire rod 16 whichhas one of its ends secured or interwoven in the twisted portion 5 ofthe member 3 and its other end projecting through an eye or loop 17formed in the corresponding portion of the member 2, the latter endbeing bent upon itself to form a stop 18. This cross piece or wire 17not only serves to limit the separation of the jaws 4, but also to keepthe two members in alinement with each other aswill be readilyunderstood.

In using the device its two jaws 4 are engaged with the pan rim, asshown in Fig. 2, and the handle 1 is held in one hand while the twohandles 13 are grasped by the other hand and drawn together to cause thejaws 4 to securely grip the pan. It will be observed. that the peculiarconstruction and shape of the jaws 4 will permit the device to pick uplarge or small plates with equal ease and enable it to hold them withequal security. The telescoping oi the outer ends of'thc two jaws, asshown in Fig. 3, permits them to be eilectively engaged with pans orplates of very small diameter. It will be furthermore observed that thedevice is exceedingly simple in construction so that it may bemanufactured at a comparatively small cost and that it is durable in useand very easy to manipulate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A plate liftercomprising a handle, resilient jaw members proj eeting therefrom andeach being formed of wire and having the curved jaw 4 composed of spacedstrands 9, 10, the twisted portion 5 at the inner end of the j aw, thetwisted portion 7 embedded in said handle and the straight portion 6between the twisted portions 5 and 7, the twisted portion 5 of one ofthe members having an opening or eye 17, the cross piece 16 fixed at oneof its ends in the twisted portion 5 of the other member and projectingthrough said eye or opening 17 the free end of said cross piece having astop 18, and the handles 13 carried by said members,substantially asshown and described.

2. A plate lifter comprising a handle, resilient jaw members projectingtherefrom. and each being formed of wire and having the curved jaw 4Lcomposed of spaced strands 9, 10, the twisted portion 5 at the inner endof the jaw, the twisted portion 7 embedded l portions 5 of said membersand having their upper portions curved outwardly to form hooks, each ofsaid handles 13 being formed from a single piece of wire bent uponitself at its center and curved to form the upper portion of the handleand having its ends twisted together at 15 and interwoven in the twistedportion 5, of one of said members, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

EDMUND 1*. WELCH. Witnesses:

A. N. WILSON, Mrs. A. N. WI soN.

